Having proven himself as a quite useful horse at up to 1¼ miles in England, Orbit was purchased by Felix Rivas as a 4-year-old with the goal of capturing the Gran Premio Internacional, an important Argentine race. Unfortunately for Rivas' plans, trans-Atlantic shipping was a much more arduous affair in those days, and Orbit arrived in Argentina in such poor shape that racing him was out of the question. Instead, he went to stud, where he forged such a reputation in a relatively short stud career that he was known as the “South American Stockwell,” alluding to the seven-time English champion sire and sire of sires.

A bay horse, Orbit was long-bodied and rather lightly made but had an excellent shoulder and strong hindquarters. Extant pictures suggest that he was upright in the pasterns.

As a stallion

Orbitwas champion sire in Argentina in 1904 and 1907 and was runner-up in 1910. He also led the Argentine broodmare sire list in 1914 and was among the top four Argentine broodmare sires on another seven occasions.

Orbit was bred by Mr. A. H. Smith-Barry and raced in the colors of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster. As a 4-year-old, he was sold to Felix Rivas, who stood the horse at hisHaras Nacional. Orbit was later acquired by Carlos Luro and was moved to Haras Los Cordos.

Pedigree notes

Orbit is inbred 4x4 to the excellent Cup mare and important broodmare Alice Hawthornand 5x5 to the good 19th-century sire Pantaloon. He is a half brother to Photinia (by Uncas), whose son Phocion (by Hampton) won the 1893 St. James's Palace Stakes and Ascot Derby. Photinia is also the second dam of 1907 Oaks Stakes winner Glass Doll and Manchester Cup winner Herminius and the third dam of 1916 Middle Park Plate winner and important American sire North Star III and 1910 Deutches St. Leger winner Cola Rienzi.

Fair Alice, the dam of Orbit, is a half sister to 1874 Irish Derby winner Ben Battle (by Rataplan). Sired by 1863 July Stakes winner Cambuscan, she is out of Young Alice, by Young Melbourne out of Alice Hawthorn's daughter Sweet Hawthorn (by Sweetmeat).

Fun facts

A newspaper report of July 1889 reported Orbit as having been sold for £3,000 to Lord William Beresford (the second son of John de La Poer Beresford, 4th Marquess of Waterford) for export to India. One assumes that this sale fell through, leaving Orbit free to be sold for export to Argentina instead.